waterspot ?

[bobby5]

Does waterspotting harm paint?

[JeffM]

It certainly can if there is junk in the water that can eat through the clear, when it dries the water is gone, but the junk is still there.

[togwt]

Air Borne Polluants:

Hydrazine is an extremely active acid that is found in jet fuel. Vehicles that park in close proximity to airports or flight-paths are subject to this contaminant. `Acid rain` is caused by sulfur from impurities in fossil fuels and nitrogen from the air combining with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. These diffuse into the atmosphere and react with water to form sulfuric and nitric acids which are soluble and fall with the rain. Some hydrochloric acid is also formed.



The suns heat greatly accelerates the water evaporation, thereby concentrating the acid, the water evaporates on the paint film surface, and it becomes a dry concentrate of the acid (a dioxide) a neutral substance that is until water is added. These conditions should be diagnosed through the use of a 30X magnifier.



Industrial Fallout (IFO) â€â€œ emissions from power generation, manufacturing plants and combustion engines emit Sulphuric acid from their exhaust stacks etc, vehicular catalytic converters emit carbon compounds that mixed with ozone (an oxidizer) and water becomes Sulphuric acid. Nitric oxide is an additional IFO component especially around Paper Mills.



Acid rain:

Once ozone, water and industrial fall out (IFO) become mixed together and heat is added it becomes acid rain, the pH of rainwater; Pure-7.0, Normal 5.5, Acid rain 4.3. When these pollutants alight on a surface they are neutral, the water carrier evaporates leaving a dry concentrate of acid (a dioxide, or dry substance of the compound). Water is added in the form of morning dew, fog, smog or rainwater, which contains two hydrogen atoms, and an oxygen atom. Oxygen is an oxidizer, ozone is an allotropic form of oxygen, and an oxidizer is any component that emits oxygen; many chemical compounds react to slight heating and an oxidizing process. So now you have an acid + water +oxygen + ozone all of which equates to a highly concentrated acidic solution, which causes a concave indentation on the paint surface (the misnamed â€Ëœwater spotsâ€â„¢)



Use detailer`s clay to remove any hardened deposits, than apply distilled water/ white vinegar solution, 5:1 (adjust ratio as required) or try Isopropyl Alcohol and distilled water to dissolve the alkaline-based mineral water deposits. To remove the etching or surface pitting you will need to level the paint film surface, providing they are not too deep, with an abrasive machine polish



Information resourse- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website

JonM

[bobby5]

I always get water spots from my hose from hard water will this kind of water spots hurt the paint?

[BlkSilverado]

Yes it will if left on the paint for a long period of time. Usually a QD will remove the spot after a wash. If it has been a week or so, you could use distilled white vinegar. If it has been months, you will more than likely need a polish to remove where the minerals have etched the paint.

[bobby5]

Will distilled white vinegar remove the wax?

[BlkSilverado]

Yes it will. But you dont want the minerals to etch the paint. Get some vinegar and get those spots off. I would much rather re-wax then have to polish out the etch.

[sickman]

Sorry to hijack thread - I`ve got a bad situation and looking for help here. I have 2 week old water spots, now water eched, all over hood, roof & 1 side of my new (well, 6 month old) black paint. Tried vinegar, clay, #80 with a PC and nothing gets them out. I want them removed ASAP to prevent further damage but am busy with work so can`t spend the time now to do it myself.



Since its only 2 weeks, can they be removed w/o taking off clearcoat or doing much damage to paint? Can any decent detailer take it off, or should I go to a bodyshop? Or does anyone have any recommendations in the LA area (Pasadena or San Gabriel valley preferably). Thanks for any help!